for dear life

Idioms

Also, for one's life. Desperately, urgently, so as to save one's life. For example, When the boat capsized, I hung on for dear life, or With the dogs chasing them they ran for their lives, or She wanted that vase but I saw it first and hung on to it for dear life. These expressions are sometimes hyperbolic (that is, one's life may not actually be in danger). The first dates from the mid-1800s, the variant from the first half of the 1600s. Also see for the life of one.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Holding on for dear life and finally landing the Green Jacket provided 36-year-old McIlroy with a sense of liberation.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

White-collar workers are hanging onto their jobs for dear life, spooked by high-profile layoff announcements, the rise of AI and an unforgiving job market for the unemployed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

Saylor tweeted a reminder to Bitcoin investors to “HODL,” or hold on for dear life.

From Barron's • Nov. 14, 2025

Stock market investors have shown every sign of hanging on for dear life as the on-again-off-again tariffs have unfolded.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2025

She’s holding on to her electric rope for dear life, trying her best to find leverage that can stop her from being whipped around.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023